1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology for deactivating a power-saving mode of a specific processing apparatus performing particular processing, e.g., an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, many different methods have been proposed for reducing power requirements of a variety of products. A method for reducing power requirements of an image forming apparatus is also proposed.
According to a conventional method, by shifting a power state in a printer that is supplied with power through a power control device from a normal power state to a power-saving state by connecting a power cord to an outlet of the power control device, the supply of the power from the outlet of the power control device to the printer is stopped. The power control device starts supplying power to the printer by receiving an image formation request or a warm-up request to the printer from an image formation requesting source, and restores the power state from the power-saving state to the normal power state (see the English abstract of Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2010-225060).
According to another conventional technology, an information processing system includes a first access means and a second access means which can communicate with a print device to be returned from a power saving state by access from an outside, and access the print device. The system also includes a request means which requests notification generated from the processing by the first access means; and a determining means which determines the presence or absence of notification of an event occurrence to the print device from the first access means. When the determining means determines that the notification of the event occurrence is present, the second access means accesses the print device (see the English abstract of Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2007-249430).
According to another conventional method, a request for the shift of an image formation apparatus which is not the request destination to a power-saving mode which is not a power-saving mode from which the image formation apparatus is restorable only by a predetermined start request is issued from a client device to the image formation apparatus (see the English abstract of Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2006-235941).
When an image forming apparatus is put in a power-saving mode, processing that can be executed thereby is sometimes restricted. To cope with this, the following conventional technologies are proposed.
According to one of the technologies, an image formation device has a control means to control the whole device; an information storage means to store information; and a communication means to transmit/receive information to/from a terminal connected thereto via a network. The communication means is equipped with a control means and a storage means operating independently of each other. In the normal operation mode, the control means responds to a request from the terminal. In the power saving mode, a control means provided in the communication means responds to the request from the terminal on behalf of the control means, based on the information received from the control means and stored in the storage means, and when a request associated with recovery of the normal operation mode is issued, information from the terminal is received and the information is stored in the information storage means until the device is restored to the normal operation mode (see the English abstract of Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2010-283734).
According to another one of the conventional technologies, a first MFP receives file information from a second MFP when the second MFP enters a power saving state. When receiving a file processing request packet for a file stored in the second MFP from another apparatus, the first MFP holds the processing request in a RAM. The first MFP sends the file processing request packet held in the RAM to the second MFP when the second MFP returns to a normal power state (see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2010-146340).
According to another one of the conventional technologies, an information processor is capable of communicating with a print controller that restores the supply of power depending on the detection of a particular data pattern so that the information processor can respond to requests from external devices. The information processor includes a detection means for detecting the requirements for alternate printing; an issuing means for issuing data including the particular data pattern to the print controller; an acquisition means for acquiring the condition of a print controller which is a candidate for a proxy printer; a display control means for causing a display part to display the print controller that is the candidate for the proxy printer acquired by the acquisition means; and a job input means for inputting a proxy print job to the print controller selected in accordance with instructions from the candidate for the proxy printer displayed (see the English abstract of Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2006-018586).
According to another one of the conventional technologies, when printing devices are preset to a power saving mode, a radio starter monitors a printing request signal to be sent from host computers through a wire LAN, and sends a signal for prompting the resetting to a normal state, to a radio interface part of either of the printing devices supposed to print data, when a print request signal is sent. Since only a radio interface part is energized even in the printing devices preset to the power saving mode, the printing devices can be reset to the normal state (see the English abstract of Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2005-169623).
According to another one of the conventional technologies, printers connected with a network are recognized. When no printer in a normal mode is found, a printer which should be restored to the normal mode is selected from among the recognized printers. A control signal for restoring a printer from a power saving mode to the normal mode is transmitted to the selected printer, and the selected printer is restored from the power saving mode to the normal mode. After the lapse of a preset time, another printer is selected, and power management is operated so that printers can be alternately restored to the normal mode (see the English abstract of Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2000-235470).
Other than the conventional technologies discussed above, the following method is proposed as a method for preventing a file from being lost in a power-saving mode. When a second MFP shifts to a power-saving state, a first MFP receives file information from the second MFP. The first MFP, upon receiving a file information acquisition request packet to the second MFP from another apparatus, transmits file information that has been received from the second MFP to the other apparatus. Furthermore, the first MFP acquires, as a proxy, a file to be stored in the second MFP and transmits the file acquired by proxy to the second MFP, when the second MFP returns to a normal power state (see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2010-141600).
Further, the following method is proposed as a method for reducing a return time necessary for an apparatus to turn from a power-saving mode to a normal mode to carry out high-speed printing. Set information of a printer connected to a network through an IEEE1394 serial bus is recognized, and the existence/absence of a representing printer waiting in a normal mode is decided. When the representing printer is not set, a printer meeting prescribed selection reference is selected, and a continuous printing processable state is maintained (see the English abstract of Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2000-187579).
In the meantime, different types of image forming apparatuses have recently been provided in a network such as a Local Area Network (LAN). For example, some image forming apparatuses have a wireless communication function; others have no wireless communication function.
According to the conventional methods, in a network in which different types of image forming apparatuses are provided, power-saving modes of some of the image forming apparatuses cannot be deactivated appropriately.